Device for operating blast-furnace snort-valves.



no. 694,988. Rammed Mai. u, I902.

. R. SIPBLLARD. DEVICE FOR OPERATING BLAST FURNACE SHORT VALVES.

(Application filed May 10, 1901.)

By. I A MW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. POLLARD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING BLAST-FURNACE SNORT-VALVES SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,988, dated March 11, 1902.

Application filed May 10. 1901. Serial No. 59,647. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. POLLARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Operating Devices for Snort-Valves as Applied to Blast-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in' mechanism for operating snort-valves or relief-valves employed in connection with blast-furnaces. It is a well-known fact that heretofore valves of this class have been extremely difficult to operate at times. Furthermore, by the present system of operation it often occurs that the valves stick and are rendered inoperative for a time, which is apt to causea great loss of material in and around the furnace and requirin'g considerable time and expense to place the parts in an operative position.

It is therefore the object of this invention to overcome these difliculties and to construct a device of the above-described character that will be extremely simple, strong, durable, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture; furthermore, one that can be easily operated and not liable to become out of order or stick.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved snort-valve, showing the operating mechanism therefor. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, showing in dotted lines the relative position of the parts as the valve is operated. Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of the main valve. Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional view of the auxiliary valve. Fig. 5 is a plan View showing the furnace broken away and in section and showing my improved device con' nected to the cold-blast pipe.

In the drawings the reference-numeral 1 indicates a casing which is usually cylindrical in form, having arranged therein a valve 2, said valve being centrally pivoted at 3 upon a shaft 4, said shaft extending through the casing 1, having secured thereon a toothed wheel 5.

The reference-numeral 6 indicates an operating-lever secured to the ends of the shaft 4 in close proximity to the toothed wheel 5. This lever may be operated in any suitable manner.

The reference-numeral 7 represents a casing arranged on the casing 1, in which is ar-- ranged an auxiliary valve 8, said auxiliary valve being likewise centrally pivoted to a shaft 9, extending through the casing 7, carrying a toothed-wheel 10, said toothed wheel corresponding with the toothed wheel 5. A bracket 11 is rigidly secured to the casing 7, giving additional strength and providing a suitable bearing 12 for the shaft 9, upon which the toothed wheel '10 is mounted.

The reference-numeral 14; represents an endless chain connecting the wheels 5 and 10, which is operated by means of the lever 6, thereby rotating the wheels 5 and l0.in uni son for the purpose to be hereinafter explained.

In operation the current of air enters the casing through the port, as indicated by arrows,whence, should the main valve be closed, it will be deflected upward toward the arrow shown in dotted lines and allowed to exhaust I through the auxiliary valve. Should the main valve be open, however, the air will of course be permitted to enter the furnace.

It will he noted that when the main valve is closed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the auxiliary valve will be opened, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby closing the blast and opening the auxiliary valve, allowing the air to exhaust by way of the auxiliary valve. It will further be noted that the valve 2 when closed assumes an oblique position and acts as a deflecting-plate, deflecting the air and conveying the same into its proper course or channel. It will further be observed that the valves 2 and 8 operate in unison and that when one is partly open the other will be partly closed in order to regulate the blast when desired.

In the common practice the air is carried from blowing-engines (not shown) through the cold-blast main 15 to stoves 16 and is then conveyed through the stoves in order that it may be heated before reaching furnace 17. It is then carried from stove 16 through a hotblast main 19 to a circular pipe around a furnace commonly called a bustle-pipe 18 and is admitted from this pipe to the furnace through blow pipe and twyers. The pipe marked 20 is simply a by-pass which can be used if the stoves are heating the air too hot, in which case cold air can be admitted through this by-pass to com mingle with and temper hot air in the hot-blast main. Of course I do not claim the above as part of my invention at all, but have simply shown and described the same in order to show the application of the snort-valve as applied to a blast-furnace.

The many advantages obtained by the use of my improved valve will be readily apparports in said casings, a port for establishing communication between the said casings, shafts secured in said casings, valves mount ed on said shafts, a sprocket-wheel mounted on each shaft, a chain connecting the said wheels,and a lever connected to one shaft,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT S. POLLARD.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. E. POTTER. 

